Knitting machine



ug. 12, 1941. J, LAWSON, 2,252,637

KNITTING IVIAGHINE Filed Aug. 8, 1935 f III Patented Aug. 12, 1941 f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE John Lawson, Bristol Highlands, R. I., assignor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N. H., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 8, 1935, Serial No. 35,327

` (ol. sei-146) This invention relates to knitting machines and particularly, although not necessarily, to so-called multi-feeding knitting machines adapted to knit so-called body fabric. The invention, however, is applicable to single feed knitting machines such as hosiery knitting machines.

In the drawingz.

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation showing a portion only of a multi-feed knitting machine constructed to effect the purposes of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view, partly in section, of a spindle for acting upon an elastic thread or strand.

At I is shown the upper portion of the cam ring between which and the needles 2 there are relative rotary movements, the needles, preferably, but not necessarily, rotating and in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. The lower portion of the cam ring or cylinder is not shown nor is the needle cylinder which, preferably, revolves within the cam ring. A stationary shaft 3 rises above the ring I and on the said shaft are xedly mounted: a disc or support 4, a second disc or plate 5 and a bracket 6 upon which is mounted a bracket 'I for supporting a series of spools 8 carrying rubber or other elastic threads 9, there being, as indicated, twice as many feeds as there are bobbins 8.

A wool or other relatively non-elastic thread or yarn I0 is shown by dot and dash lines, Fig. I, as passing downwardly from the source of supply (not shown) through an 'eyelet II carried -able with a disc, IB. From the eyelet I1 the thread I0 passes downwardly through an eyelet I9 mounted upon ring I and to the needles 2 of the knitting machine.

An elastic thread or strand 9 is shown as passing downwardly from its spool 8 through an eyelet 20 carried by another bracket I2 and from there downwardly through another eyelet 2l on the same bracket.

The said elastic thread orv strand then passes between tw'o rotary and interf meshing rolls or wheels 22,23 and downwardly through any eyelet 24 fastened to the plate 5. From the eyelet 24 the elastic thread'passes upwardly through another eyelet 25 carried by and movable with a `disc I8, the said thread then passing downwardly and around a roller or pulley 26 carried by the disc 4. From the pulley 26 the elastic thread 9 passes upwardly and partially around another pulley 21 and from there downwardly through a second eyelet 28 in the first mentioned bracket I2 and from the eyelet 28 through another eyelet 29 also fastened to the said bracket I2, the said thread then passing between the rollers I4 and I5 and from there through an eyelet 30 carried by the plate 5. The thread then passes upwardly and through another eyelet 3| mounted upon and movable with a disc I8 from which eyelet the said thread passes downwardly and is snubbed around a post or spindle 32 which, as shown in Fig. 2, is detachably engaged with the roll I5 as by the driving t indicated at 33, the enlarged portion 34. of the spindle 32 being tapered in the direction of the roll I5 to eiect a driving interengagement between the spindle 32 and roll I5. To accommodate the enlarged portion 34 of the spindle 32, the roll I5 is recessed as indicated at 35.

After being snubbed around the post 32 the elastic thread 9 is passed through an eyelet 36 -after which it is engaged lby the needles and knitted together with the thread or yarn I0 to effect the knitting of the fabric F, Fig. l.

The diameter of the post or spindle 32 around which the elastic thread is snubbed is considerably reduced as compared with the diameter of the rolls I4, I5 and as a .consequence thereof much more of thbe wool or other thread I0 is fed to the needles bymeans of the rolls I4, I5 than of the unstretched elastic strand 9, the action of .the spindle 32 upon the elastic thread being such as to retard free movement of the said thread to the needles.

Briefly summarized the rolls 22 and 23 which may be driven in the manner shown in the Howie Patent 1,562,829, November 24, 1925, draw the elastic thread 9 from the source of supply 8 thus relieving the needles of 4the necessity of pulling the said elastic from the source of supply in which case the varying tensions upon the said elastic thread, due to the tendency of the elastic thread to stick on the windings, would make it virtually impossible to knit commercial fabric. The said rolls 22, 23 thus remove some, at least, of the tension exerted upon the elastic strand by the winding at the source of supply 8, and whatever drag or uneven tension may exist in the thread 9 between the rolls 22, 23 and the rolls I4 and I5 is removed when the said elastic strand passes between the latter rolls, namely, I4 and I5. Thereafter the tension on the elastic strand being completely removed,` a substantial and uniform tension is imposed upon the said strand by means ofthe snubbing post or shaft 32. Furthermore, the inelastic yarn, such as wool, is uniformly drawn from the source of supply by the rolls I4 and I5 and fed to the needles of the knitting machine.

In the foregoing description, reference, for convenience, has been made to a rubber or elastic strand 9 and a wool or other4 thread or yarn I although when knitting on a multi-feed knitting machine the threads 9 and I0 would be duplicated at each feeding station in operation.

Obviously the inelastic thread or threads I0 may be of wool, cotton, silk, or of any of the threads or yarns usually employed in producing fabric, and likewise the elastic thread or threads 9 may be of covered or uncovered rubber or any suitable strand material having the requisite elastic properties.

Although, for convenience, the invention has been shown as applied to a machine of the type shown in the patent to Howie hereinbefore mentioned, the invention is applicable to any other types of knitting machines. `Furthermore, while for convenience the spindle 32 has been shown as being driven by direct engagement with a roll I5, it will be understood that the spindle 32 may be driven independently of the roll I5 or by any other driven, rotary member.

It Will be noted that the elastic thread 9 is/l theelastic thread by the spindle 32 causes the said thread to be stretched considerably and as a consequence thereof the said thread 9 is effectively covered on both faces of the fabric by the thread or yarn I0, pile-like loops of the said thread I0 assisting in the plating on both faces of thevfabric. Furthermore, the constantly rotating and positively driven spindle 32 causes `the thread 9 to be uniformly fed to the needles and under tension and in such a manner that the tension exerted by the snubbing post 32 on the said thread 9 maintains the tension uniform and eliminates the possibility of the thread 9 breaking through or showing through on either face of the fabric.

'- relativelyinelastic threads or yarns for covering a rubber thread or strand, such as 9, 'on both faces of the fabric by separate threads instead of'by one thread or yarn as hereinbefore disclosed. Furthermore, special' stitches such as drop or tuck stitches may be incorporated in a fabric to make the same more open.

The method of knittinxz hereinbefore disclosed in terms of mechanism, includes completely covering the elastic thread on one or both faces of the fabric by lthe inelastic thread, the desired result being accomplished by .maintaining an unvarying or uniform tension on the elastic thread, and specifically by positively feeding the inelastic and elastic threads to the needles of the machine by a rotary member, the peripheral speed of the surface or portion acting upon the elastic thread being less than the effective surface of the rotary means (as wheels I4, I5) that effects the positive feeding of the inelastic thread to the needles. Furthermore, the uniformity of the fabric is enhanced by feeding measured lengths of the inelastic thread to the needles by means of the rolls I4, I5.

Whereas itis desirable to use the spindle 32 in conjunction with the feeding rolls I4, I5 and/or 22, 23, the two sets of rolls, namely, I4 I5 and 22, 23, or either of them, may be used in feeding the elastic thread or threads 9 either alone or in conjunction with any suitable tensioning means for acting upon the elastic thread after passing through the rolls and before being knitted by the needles.

Although the invention i-s primarily adapted and intended for the knitting of an elastic thread in conjunction With an inelastic thread, it is also the intention to knit elastic thread alone throughout one or more courses or throughout the entire fabric, the mechanism hereinbefore disclosed making it practicable to feed an elastic thread or threads to the needles of a knitting machine for incorporation in knitted fabric and without imposing undue strain upon the needles incidental to the drawing of elastic thread oi a spool or other source of supply by the needles alone.

It is desirable that the bobbins 8 be freely rotatable but/to prevent excessive overrunning of the bobbins, a light braking spring may engage the spools 8.

The rolls I4, I5, 22, 23 are tapered, the Outer portions thereof being of smaller diameter, and the teeth of the said rolls do not intermesh so deeply at their outer portions as at their inner portions of larger diameter.

While the .invention is not limited lto the precise details of construction shown and hereinbefore described, it is desirable that the spindle 32 or equivalent member be rotatable and that the speed of rotation, periphery of the spindle, and the rate of knitting the elastic thread all be such as to cause the elastic thread I0 to be stretched as it is being knitted by the needles. When knitting the elastic thread as -just described. the said elastic thread may occasionally slip around the said spindle 32 although the latter is, preferably, of a material to engage the thread I0 frictionally.

Although in the foregoing description theelements and combinations thereof have been specifically described, it is not the intention thereby to limit the invention to the precise details of construction or combinations thereof, shown in the drawing.

I claim:

1. A knitting machine having needles andv tension exerted upon the said elastic thread from the source of supply, a `second pair of rotary, driven members between which the said elastic thread also passes to assist in removing the tension from the elastic thread, in combination with a rotary means for so acting upon the elastic thread as uniformly to retard free movement of the said elastic thread to the needles so that the relatively inelastic thread shall conceal the l elastic thread on both faces of the fabric.

2. A knitting machine having means for feedthread to the needles of the machine, means for drawing the 'elastic thread from the source of supply and including opposed rotary, driven rolls of a certain diameter, a second driven, rotary element for engaging the elastic strand and re v 3. A knitting machine havingneedles and including means for feeding elastic and inelastic threads thereto, said feeding means including ing a relatively inelastic thread and an elastic opposed `rotary rolls between two of which said elastic thread is drawn from the source of supply and between two others of which rolls the said elastic and inelastic threads pass, a driven, rotary spindle around which the said elastic thread passes on its way from the last mentioned rolls to the needles of the knitting machine, the peripheral speed of the surface of the spindle acting upon the said elastic thread being less than the effective surface of the'last two mentioned rolls acting upon the said elastic thread, the construction and rotation of the rolls last mentioned and the spindle being such as to impose a drag u pon the elastic strand and cause the inelastic strand to cover the elastic strand on both `faces of the fabric,

JOHN LAWSON. 

